Seams
by Kurai Himitsu
Summary: Ayame is feeling low and Yuki has a project to do for school. Shigure has an idea on how to get the brothers to bond, but will it work? Or backfire? [oneshot][glossary at the end]


**A/N:** Hmm…not much to say really…except my favorite characters are obviously the magnificent Mabudachi Trio!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own _Fruits Basket_! Doubt I ever will…oh well… I don't own the song, _World Inside My Head_, either…Sister Hazel does… Don't worry, not making any money here…

**Ratings:** PG

**Genre:** Humor/ WAFF (I hope)

**Warnings:** Ayame's shop...

**Main Characters:** Sohma Ayame! Sohma Ayame…and where there's Aaya…there's Sohma Yuki…sadly… Oh yeah, and Shigure's in here too.

**Additional Notes:** Alrighty! Let's see… _Italics_ are the song lyrics. "_Italics._" are past quotes… Oh, and this is NOT yoai! That about sums it up…

_Seams_

Ayame sighed as he sat at Shigure's table, braiding his prized long, silver hair. He had come to see Yuki, but as soon as his younger brother had seen him he had yelled at him to go away before running outside and off into the woods.

The hebi closed his amber eyes and wondered where he had gone wrong… What had he done to make Yuki hate him so much?

"_Not so much hate. It's just it's…kind of a sore spot for me… …Because I don't quite understand what he's thinking._"

"Oh Yuki…" he whispered. "Why didn't I spend more time with you? Why…?"

_On the road to safe_

_I kinda tripped along the way_

_It just seemed like a nasty hassle_

_The path was greener on the one less traveled_

_That's where I remained_

When Yuki came back, Ayame was still in the same spot he had left him in. The nezumi glared. "I thought I told you to get out…"

Ayame looked up, his amber eyes held a slightly pained expression that startled Yuki. Then, suddenly, the hebi looked as he always did: bright, cheerful, and annoying as hell. "But Yuki!" he pouted. "I just wanted to have some quality time with my wonderful little brother!"

"I said get out." Yuki watched as a flicker of pain and hurt went through Ayame's amber eyes as the hebi quietly got up to leave.

"Well," laughed Ayame, a grin on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I must get back to my shop anyway,ja ne Yuki!"

Yuki watched him go, a trace of guilt stirring in his heart. "Nii-san…" he whispered as the hebi shut the shoji and walked down the drive. He shook his head. "Hopeless baka…" he muttered as he turned to return to his garden, but still, the tinge of guilt remained as he gave the shoji where his brother had left a final glance.

_People so high they think_

_I can't hear the whispers_

_I can see it fallin' off their face_

_They're tryin' to shoot down my plane of grace_

_I thought it was already hard enough_

"Yuki…" The nezumi spun around to see Shigure standing at the doorway, a look of seriousness and sadness in his unfathomable slate gray eyes. "You have a look of guilt in your eyes… why don't you tell me about it…"

Yuki looked at the ground. "I shouldn't have done that…I'm ashamed of myself…"

"You should be," glared the inu. "Ayame is trying his hardest to be your friend…he really is."

Yuki blinked; he had rarely heard Shigure use that tone with anyone. "I…" Yuki sighed. "I just don't understand him I guess…"

Shigure laughed. "Not many people do…in fact, I don't think anyone really understands Aaya; I know I don't."

Yuki looked at the inu, confused. "But you're his friend, ne?"

Shigure smiled. "Hai, but you don't have to understand someone just to be their friend…it helps, but it's not a requirement."

Yuki thought for a moment. "I don't know how to act around him… Not to mention he's annoying…"

Shigure sighed. "I don't know why Aaya acts the way he does…he's a complicated person… but I think you should just be yourself around him…it's not really as hard as it looks…in fact, I find it easier to be myself around Ayame than anyone else."

Yuki shook his head. "Why?"

Shigure smiled. "Because Aaya is the kind of person who doesn't really judge…he'll listen to your problems and give advice about them, though, admittedly, not always good advice…" replied the inu a thoughtful look in his eyes. "He really isn't as bad as you may think…"

Yuki frowned. "Whatever…I have to finish planting and do that stupid school project…" He shook his head again and started to his garden as Shigure watched from the doorway, a sad look in his eyes.

_But the paint on me is beginning to dry_

_And it's not what I wanted to be_

_The weight on me_

_Is hanging onto a weary angel_

Ayame was at his store when the phone rang that night. He picked it up, feeling slightly dejected. "Moshi-moshi, Sohma Ayame speaking, who is this?"

"It's Shigure," came the voice from the other side of the line.

Ayame smiled a little. "Ah, Gure-san!" he chuckled, forcing his voice to sound cheerful. "Daijoubu ka?"

"Daijoubu desu," replied the inu. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over and have dinner with me and Yuki tonight; you see, Tohru is at a sleepover and Kyo is off in the mountains somewhere, and it just feels so…dreary around here."

Ayame frowned; what was Shigure up to this time? He sighed and shrugged off the feeling that the inu was planning something and answered, "Sure…I guess I'll come over…"

"Great!" chirped the inu gleefully. "I'll see you in ten minutes!"

Ayame blinked. "Ten minutes? But I thought…" But it was no use; Shigure had already hung up. Ayame sighed. "I'd better get ready then…"

_So tell me what it is about me_

_Where did everybody go without me_

_So, I like to fantasize_

_And watch the sunrise like it's a big surprise_

_Life moved and I stopped to taste it_

_I drank it up till it left me wasted_

_But my rains have bled_

_A softer red_

_Oh you should see the world inside my head_

Dinner was silent. Yuki glared at Ayame the entire time and Ayame picked at his food quietly while Shigure vainly attempted to start a conversation. Finally, the sun had set and Shigure was tired of the lost chance.

"So, Aaya," he said cheerily. "I found something quite interesting up in Yuki's room yesterday…"

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "Like what?" he asked, his voice cold.

Shigure smirked. "Why don't I show you, Aaya?" he continued, ignoring Yuki's question.

Ayame looked at Shigure with a slightly curious expression. "Why not?" he asked wearily.

"Wait a second—!" stuttered Yuki as Shigure and Ayame started up the stairs towards his room.

Ayame walked into Yuki's room, closely followed the nezumi himself. Suddenly the door slammed shut, trapping the brothers inside. "What the—?" cried Yuki, running over and jiggling the knob, only to find it locked. "Shigure! Open the door!"

Shigure chuckled from the other side of the door. "I don't think so…not till you two sort out your differences," he said, twirling the key ring around on his index finger.

"I'll get you for this Shigure!" yelled Yuki, furious.

Shigure laughed. "Have fun you two," he called over his shoulder as he walked back down the stairs.

"Shigure!" Yuki roared.

Ayame chuckled and the nezumi swung around to face his older brother with an accusing glare. Ayame blinked. "Don't look at me like that, otouto," he said. "I had nothing to do with it, I swear."

"Like hell you didn't…" hissed Yuki.

Ayame sighed and quietly looked around the room until something on Yuki's desk caught his eye. "What's this?" he muttered curiously to himself as he walked over to inspect the said something.

"It's fabric, baka. It's for a school project," snorted Yuki, annoyed. "What does it look like?"

Ayame cocked his head for a moment before answering seriously, "Light cotton, imported most likely; best suited for making sun dresses…or any type of dress for that matter."

Yuki blinked. "How did you know that?"

The hebi's lips quirked toward a smile. "I _am_ a tailor; this _is_ my profession. Besides, this is the same type of fabric I use for many of the outfits I make at the store."

Yuki shook his head. "Whatever…"

Ayame studied the fabric and found the pattern hidden underneath it; he smiled. "What a lovely dress this shall be!" he exclaimed. "Especially since it will be made by my most wonderful otouto!"

Yuki glared at the hebi over his shoulder. "I never said I was going to make it," he corrected.

Ayame raised an eyebrow. "Why ever not, dear brother?" he asked curiously, fingering the silky silvery blue fabric.

"Because I don't know how to make it…" muttered the nezumi, looking out the window, hands clinched at his side.

The hebi blinked before smiling again, wider this time. "Well, I can solve that problem!" he said brightly.

Yuki looked back at Ayame, a look of skepticism on his face. "You mean you'll make it for me?"

Ayame frowned a little and shook his head. "Of course not, Yuki," he said. "I'll help_ you_ make it, if you'll let me."

Yuki thought for a moment. "Fine…but only because I have to have it done and I don't know how to do it myself."

Ayame smiled and nodded. "Alright…first, we need some scissors, pins, and a tape measurer," he said seriously. "Do you have any?" Yuki nodded. "Good; could you get them?"

While Yuki shifted through his backpack looking for the supplies, Ayame unfolded the fabric and spread it, good side down, on the floor. He paused before opening the pattern envelope and pulling out all the tissue paper patterns.

"Why did you do that?" asked Yuki, returning from his quest to see the beautiful fabric upside-down on the floor. "Isn't that the wrong side?"

Ayame shook his head. "Iie, you see, we must work inside-out…that's how all clothes are made; therefore, it must be laid out like this, lest the seams show. Do you have the scissors?"

Yuki nodded. "Good, hand me them; I'm going to show you what to do so you can do the rest."

Yuki didn't answer but did as he was told and handed the hebi the pair of black scissors. "Now, first you must take the tissue paper, the pattern in other words, and cut along the thick, _solid_ black lines… All of them must be cut out." Yuki nodded as he watched Ayame cut swiftly and precisely. "Here," said the hebi, handing Yuki the scissors, already done cutting one of the pieces out. "You cut out the rest and we'll go from there, alright?"

_You can shackle me away_

_And try to wrap around my dreamer_

_I feel better when I paint my days_

_With purple seas_

_And left out grays_

_Strange is just a different point of view_

After awhile, all the pieces were cut out and Ayame had shown Yuki how to pin them to the fabric and cut them out. Now, all the pieces were laid out in front of the two brothers and Ayame smiled.

"There," he said brightly. "Now we just have to start the sewing!"

Yuki groaned. Ayame glanced over at the nezumi and sighed. "Do you happen to have a sewing machine?" he asked with a sly grin.

Yuki glared. "Iie; do _you_?"

Ayame nodded. "Several, just not here with me."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "So how are we going to sew?"

The hebi thought for a moment. He tapped his chin and surveyed the fabric before answering, "Well, we could do the work by hand and stitch," Yuki nearly fainted, but Ayame wasn't finished talking. "_Or_ we could use one of the machines at the shop."

"I like option two."

Ayame laughed. "I thought you'd say that," he chuckled. "You don't seem like the kind of person who enjoys the feeling of the complete satisfaction of hand stitching an entire garment…oh well, your loss."

Yuki blinked. "You actually hand stitch stuff?"

The hebi nodded. "Hai, I find it rather relaxing…and gratifying."

"Gratifying?" asked Yuki. "How?"

Ayame smiled. "Because I know that the clothes I make, someone will wear. Maybe someone will complement those people on the clothes and that will make the people feel good and that thought makes me feel good."

Yuki stared at his brother, stunned. Ayamesmiled. "Well, when is your project due?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," replied the nezumi, shaking himself a little.

Ayame tapped his chin, a thoughtful look in his amber eyes. "Then that means we have to get this done by tonight…but first we have to get out of this room."

"How?" inquired Yuki dubiously. "Shigure's got the only key."

"Then," started Ayame, his voice falling to a whisper. "We'll just have to trick him out of it!"

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "How?"

The hebi clicked his tongue. "My dearest Yuki! You are forgetting! Gure-san isn't the only member of the infamous and magnificent Mabudachi Trio in this house!" Ayame winked and Yuki swallowed, suddenly nervous.

_But the paint on me is starting to dry_

_And it's not what I wanted to be_

_The weight on me_

_Is holding onto a weary angel_

Shigure was sitting downstairs reading the newspaper. In truth, he wasn't really reading at all, but straining his ears for any sounds coming from Yuki's room. So far, he hadn't heard anything but the ticking of the clock and it was starting to worry him.

All types of possibilities were running through his mind, the first and foremost being Yuki had somehow strangled Aaya and the hebi juunishi was no longer among the living. But then again…he didn't think the nezumi would actually _kill_ his nii-san…maim maybe…but if he had done that, the entire world would know about it by now, curtsey of Ayame's mouth. Suddenly there was a loud banging sound.

"What the—" muttered the inu as he put the paper down and got to his feet. He made his way to the stairs and another banging sound pushed him to climb the stairs and walk over to Yuki's door and put his ear to it.

"Please otouto!" he heard Ayame whimper. "Please…just put the knife down!"

"Shut the hell up kiisama!" snapped Yuki.

"Wait! Can't we talk about this? I mean…it was just a little joke!"

Shigure now had his ear firmly pressed to the door, holding his breath. _What the hell's going on in there!_

"I said shut up!" roared the nezumi. Suddenly there was a whoosh noise and the sound of metal ripping through cloth and thudding into wood.

Shigure's eyes widened and he hurriedly unlocked the door and ran in. Two seconds later, the inu was tied up on the ground and Yuki and Ayame were brushing the dust off their hands.

"But I thought…but the sound…what the hell…" stuttered Shigure, looking between the two brothers.

Ayame grinned. "We tricked you Gure-san!" he laughed.

"I can't believe you actually fell for it…" scoffed Yuki, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, "C'mon…let's get going. Oh, and Shigure? You're paying for the wall," he said pointing to the knife in the wall.

Ayame nodded and turned to leave, calling over his shoulder, "We're going to the shop for a while Gure-san; you just stay there till we get back. Ja ne!"

"Hey! Untie me! Let me out!" yelled Shigure, twisting in his bonds. "Yuki!"

"Ciao…"

_So tell me what it is about me_

_Where did everybody go without me_

_So, I like to fantasize_

_And watch the sunrise like it's a big surprise_

_Life moved and I stopped to taste it_

_I drank it up till it left me wasted_

_But my rains have bled_

_A softer red_

_Oh you should see the world inside my head_

Once they were in the workroom of Ayame's shop, the hebi pulled out the fabric again. He laid it out on a large table and studied it before turning and going out into the shop itself. Yuki watched, confused. When Ayame returned, he was carrying an armful of supplies.

The hebi laid them on the table next to the fabric and smiled. "Let's get to work otouto!"

They worked straight for the next three hours; Ayame showed Yuki how to work the machine, how to make the garment look almost seamless, and keep the edges straight.

The hebi paused in stitching one of the sides of the dress, seemingly staring at the thin thread in the glittering sliver needle. There was no movement for nearly a minute, strange for the overenthusiastic hebi. Yuki, getting impatient, mumbled, "Nii-san? Daijoubu ka?"

Ayame seemed to shake himself; he smiled softly. "Aa… I was only thinking…"

"Nani?" asked the nezumi. "About what?"

"Seams," answered Ayame distantly. "How they can bind two, sometimes completely different, pieces of fabric together and make something that can be identified. It can even mend things that seem ripped beyond repair…amazing really…"

The hebi began stitching again before handing the fabric back to the nezumi without a word and returning to some of his own work; Yuki looked at his brother curiously before once more beginning to work on the dress.

Two hours later Yuki yawned. Ayame looked up from some of his own work for the store: a lavender colored tuxedo. "Otouto?" he said, setting the work down. "Why don't we take a break? I'll go make some tea…"

"But don't you have work to do?"

Ayame stopped and smiled. "Oh, you mean this thing?" he asked, indicating the tuxedo. "It's just something a customer ordered for tomorrow, but yours is much more important; I know the customer well, he's a regular. I'm sure he'll understand."

Yuki opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late, Ayame had already put the lavender tuxedo down and went into the kitchen connected to the workroom. The nezumi could hear the sounds of tea being prepared and, a few minutes later, the whistle of steam from the teapot. Ayame returned carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it.

"Here," said the hebi, handing Yuki one of the steaming cups. "Ki o tsukete otouto, it's hot."

Yuki nodded and blew on the tea to cool it before taking a hesitant sip. His eyes widened.

"Ii desu ka?"

Yuki nodded. "It's wonderful…" he replied. "I didn't know you could make tea this good…"

Ayame smiled. "Arigatou…"

_I feel better when I paint my days_

_With purple seas_

_And left out grays_

_Strange is just a different point of view_

They had started working again once the tea was done. Ayame yawned; that had been nearly three hours ago. He looked up to see Yuki slumped over the table, his arm pillowing his head, fast asleep; the hebi smiled as he went to stand beside the nezumi.

"Not done, eh?" he whispered, seeing the unfinished dress. "Well…I suppose it couldn't hurt… Just this once…"

_But the paint on me is starting to dry_

_And it's not what I wanted to be_

_The weight on me_

_Is holding onto a weary angel_

Yuki woke the next day and glanced blearily around. Suddenly he sat bolt upright; he was in his room at Shigure's, he realized. Then another fact dawned on him: he hadn't finished the dress… the dress for school… the dress that was due today.

"Chikkuso!" he hissed as he hurriedly dressed. He searched his room high and low for the dress, but it was nowhere to be found. "Chikkuso!"

He ran down the stairs. "Shigure!" he yelled.

"Hai?" asked the inu, walking out of his room. "Nan desu ka?"

"I can't find the dress!" said Yuki. "I was at Nii-san's shop… I must have fallen asleep before I finished it! Now I can't find it!"

Shigure smiled. "Maa, maa," he said. "Calm down. Aaya left it on the table when he brought you back last night."

"Are?" asked Yuki, confused.

The inu laughed. "You were sound asleep when he brought you back, that's why you don't remember," he clarified. "But like I said, he left the dress on the table."

Yuki turned and ran into the kitchen to see the dress folded neatly on the table, completed. "But…but it wasn't done last night… Wakaranai…"

"Hontou desu ka?" asked Shigure from behind him. "Aaya must have finished it for you then… I must say," said Shigure admiring the dress Yuki had unfolded and laid on the table. "It _is_ beautiful."

"Hai," whispered Yuki, staring at the dress and silently thanking his nii-san.

_So tell me what it is about me_

_Where did everybody go without me_

_So, I like to fantasize_

_And watch the sunrise like it's a big surprise_

_Life moved and I stopped to taste it_

_I drank it up till it left me wasted_

_But my rains have bled_

_A softer red_

_Oh you should see the world inside my head_

Ayame stopped by the next day. He and Shigure talked for hours until Tohru and Yuki got back from school. Tohru was wearing the silvery blue dress, blushing, and holding Yuki's hand. Ayame grinned at Yuki but said nothing.

Yuki smiled back at the hebi and Ayame saw the gratefulness in his otouto's eyes. He nodded; a silent 'you're welcome.' Like the seams of a dress…

_You should see_

/_Owari_\\\

**A/N:** Well, that's it! I tried to make it WAFF (Warm And Fuzzy Feeling)…but I'm not sure if I succeeded or not… Anywho…here's a Japanese glossary for all you who had no clue what I was saying:

**Hebi**- snake 

**Nezumi**- rat

**Ja ne-**an informal 'good bye', kid of like 'see you later!'

**Nii-san**- Older brother

**Shoji**- the sliding Japanese rice paper door that leads to the outside of the home, or from the outside in (the word for the inner sliding rice paper doors is 'fusuma')

**Baka**- idiot, moron, and stupid (a rather general insult to someone's intelligence)

**Inu**- dog

**Ne**- Ex. We all love him, don't we? We all love him, ne? (Sorry, can't explain it much better than that…)

**Hai**- yes

**Moshi-moshi**- hello (when talking on the phone)

**-san**- like Miss or Mr.

**Daijoubu ka**- how are you?

**Daijoubu desu**- I'm fine

**Otouto**- little brother

**Iie**- no

**Juunishi**- Chinese Zodiac (hebi juunishisnake of the Chinese zodiac)

**Kiisama**- a very bad word…basically means something along the lines of 'bastard'…

**Ciao**- goodbye (not Japanese… I think it might be Vietnamese…)

**Aa**- means yes; only used by men…

**Ki o tsukete**- be careful

**Ii desu ka**- is it good/okay?

**Arigatou**- thanks

**Chikkuso**- damn, shit

**Nan desu ka**- what is it?

**Maa, maa**- now, now

**Are**- Huh?

**Wakaranai**- I don't understand

**Hontou desu ka**- really?

**A/N:** Well that's it! I hope you liked it! Please **review**…I'll give a cookie to anyone who can figure out what the last line means! ('Like the seams of a dress…')


End file.
